With forecasts calling for wintry weather for the East Coast & parts of the South, take some time now to put blankets, a shovel, & road salt/sand in your car. It’s best to stay off the roads but if you must drive, let someone know your route & whe FEMA

With forecasts calling for wintry weather for the East Coast & parts of the South, take some time now to put blankets, a shovel, & road salt/sand in your car. It’s best to stay off the roads but if you must drive, let someone know your route & whe FEMA

Shaving Cream

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Slather it on the inside of your car’s windshield for a minute then wipe off. Many of the cheaper cans have some of the same properties as defoggers, and once the window is wiped clean of Barbasol, it will keep the glass from going cloudy.

Kitty Litter

The absorbent silica variety works best to reduce indoor fogginess. Bag some up in a sock and lay it on the floorboards. This substance has the added benefit of grittiness, so toss a handful under the tires for traction.

Socks

Raise your windshield wipers into the upright position and fit an old tube sock over each one. This will keep them from sticking to the glass. Come morning, you can slide the socks over shoes for extra grip on an icy sidewalk.

With the potential of winter weather this week, here are some tips for driving on icy or snow-covered roads. Ashley Jean Reese / The Island Packet

Vinegar

The internet offers a dozen suggestions for coating the outside of a windshield and keeping it free of snow, and vinegar seems the most reliable, endorsed even by Snopes.com as a pre-storm coating. While bath towels absorb moisture and plastic bags stick to the glass, vinegar from a spray bottle licks snow as it falls.

Cooking Spray

Take a can of your favorite frying pan lubricant and spray it on the rubber seal of the car door, wiping away any excess. This helps keep the door from freezing shut. It also reminds a driver of breakfast.

Homemade Wiper Fluid

Your car’s tank of blue juice drains quickly in icy weather. Take a gallon jug of water and add a tablespoon of dish soap, a half-cup of vinegar, your favorite food coloring and – if desired – some isopropyl alcohol to prevent freezing.

Face East

Park your car toward the sun and it will help with the thaw as it rises.

With these tips in hand, pilot your creamy, vinegar-smeared, cooking-spray-coated vehicle flecked with kitty litter off to a productive winter day.